Boardman bikes - quality?

[fossyant]

I had a full suspension MTB, team FS I think, got cheap on cycle 2 work scheme...but totally hated it and ebayed after 3 months....stuck with hardtail Cannondale which is years old but light years better.
no idea what the road bikes are like, but would never be on my shopping list, Chris is a great bloke but his bikes are a bit, er, dull!

Did you use it properly off road, if not a full sus isn't what you needed. My FS Pro is seriously quick on rough off road flat sections, no problems climbing either and comes into it's own on rocky descents. It's not, however, something for roads and tracks.

 

[Johnno260]

Try another branch. It's nicknamed half odds because half the time you get the lift, half you get...

I have tried both my local ones, one was better but the BB they replaced has already failed! When I went back to speak with them gave up waiting after 40+ mins

 

[Brand X]

I've got a Boardman Sport in the shed. Bought new from Halfords, never ridden it (stupid impulse buy). There are rusty bits all over it and the rear rack is faded. The frame, forks and wheels are fine though. The sprockets and chain look a bit sad. It was cheap - 20% off, but I reckon it needs £100+ spending on it to make it tidy.

 

[adamangler]

Boardman are as good as anything else (trek specialized etc) and are better value in general. Unfortunately they will never be regarded as such as they are sold in halfords. Some models have their issues (mtb comp used to be known for bb issues but that was the shitty bb30 not a boardman fault as such).

 

[grellboy]

I've had two, 2012hybrid and 2014 cx team. Both reliable and handsome too. I got the cx despite every other review mentioning bottom bracket failure....and sure enough after about 1000 miles it did develop the dreaded creak, but this was due to shabby building of the bike in shop (not enough grease apparently!) but tbf to Halfords this was sorted under warranty completely free of charge.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Did you use it properly off road, if not a full sus isn't what you needed. My FS Pro is seriously quick on rough off road flat sections, no problems climbing either and comes into it's own on rocky descents. It's not, however, something for roads and tracks.

Fair point but it just bugged the hell out of me, you expect most bikes to be good at a few things, not just one, thats the nature of our countryside surely?
I actually used the money to upgrade 1995 (USA built) Cannondale M500 wheels and new XT gears and brakes, not joking its a trillion times better than the Boardman, no, make tha a gazillion!

 

[MiK1138]

Got a Boardman 29er Pro MTB love the smoothed welds, decent roxshock forks, i find with boardman than when they launch a new model it comes well specced but this seems to deteriorate in later models

 

[adamangler]

I've had two, 2012hybrid and 2014 cx team. Both reliable and handsome too. I got the cx despite every other review mentioning bottom bracket failure....and sure enough after about 1000 miles it did develop the dreaded creak, but this was due to shabby building of the bike in shop (not enough grease apparently!) but tbf to Halfords this was sorted under warranty completely free of charge.

Nothing to do with the shop, the bottom brackets and indeed all the drivetrain etc is assembled at the factory and shipped into the store in a box. The guys in the store literally fit the handlebars and the front wheel then setup brakes and gears and tighten everything up.

 

[burndust]

i've had my CX team for about 4 years the groupset and wheels have been replaced in that time, but the frame is solid, it used to be my all year round bike but its now used as the winter bike, i'm not sure they represent quite the same value as they used to but still great bikes